Friday Fun
Today was another gorgeous day with little to no wind and temperatures reaching 25 degrees celsius! I spent the morning puttering around the site and completing tasks like the weekly battery top up. The usual animals are around today, all 4 elephant seals, a handful of sea lions, and of course – Ollie.
In the afternoon, Cedric brought two groups of Pearson student’s over for visit, most of whom had never been to Race Rocks before. It’s always nice to have visitors and I thoroughly enjoy answering questions about the reserve and my job.
Only a few ecotourism vessels today but I expect I’ll see plenty over the weekend if the weather stays like this.
The water around jetty is crystal clear, it’s so fun to watch the sea lions swim and play beneath the waters surface. As I type this now, I am watching a young California sea lion leap out of the water as if it’s having the time of its life.
** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **
Chaos and Creatures!
Today was so action packed I’m not even sure where to begin!
I woke up just after sunrise as I knew today was going to be busy and I wanted to get a few tasks out of the way. At 6am it was already warm out with barely a breeze. The ocean was glassy as I cleaned the solar panels – which were yet again decorated by the birds.
Around 8:30am the first group of Pearson students were dropped off for their marine science exam which was taking place here at Race Rocks. By 9am we had 46 humans on the island which is a lot after not seeing anyone for a whole week. Today’s tide was one of the lowest I’ve seen since being here and its neat to see the rocks and small islands that are usually well below the surface.
Halfway through the exam we had a surprise visit from Coast Guard via helicopter to continue working on the fog horn. Thankfully all of the students were safely tucked away working on their exams down in the tide pools when it arrived. This time they had a smaller helicopter so they actually landed on the grass next to the tower rather than the helipad. Overall disturbance was limited aside from birds leaving the area (but immediately returning) and the minor panic exhibited by me.
If that wasn’t excitement enough, we saw 3 passing transient killer whales shortly after! Once again, they were quite far in the distance but always nice to see. One of these days I’ll see them up close!
On return to the school, one of the boats found a deceased harbour porpoise floating on the surface. I reported this to DFO and the animal was collected and brought back to the college where it can be stored in a freezer until the DFO team and veterinary pathologist are able to perform a necropsy.
The afternoon slowed down once it was just me and the animals alone on site. Ollie was relaxing in the kelp beds, the sea lions were quiet, and the sun was toasty. I ventured down to the rocks behind the student house to soak up some sun when something shiny caught my eye. Partially sticking out in the dirt I picked up what originally looked like some sort of bivalve or calcified shell, almost something you’d expect to see on a tropical beach. Upon picking it up I realized how heavy it was and that it actually appeared to be man made, with grooves that seemed as though they would hold rope or line. My next guess was that it was a lead fishing weight of some sort or maybe a piece of similar equipment. I rinsed it off and sent some photos to colleagues to further inquire. One of the other Eco Guardians, Derek, helped me to ID it as an “open-end strain insulator” and it supports guy wires/cables by working under compression. Through a page on the Maine Historical Society website I was also able to learn that this porcelain egg like tool was made in 1900. How wild is that! I know this island holds more history than I’ll ever know, but never did I think I’d stumble across a little piece of it among the dirt and the goose poop. I’m going to have a read through some books here tonight and see if there are any photos or mention of it!
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- From the website of Collections of Maine Historical Society
Wow, okay I think that is everything for today! Race Rocks will never cease to amaze me.
…I guess I spoke/posted too soon! Shortly after publishing this blog post I spotted a brown pelican circling the reserve and figured it deserved a mention!
Additional info:
Ecotourism vessels: 10+ busiest day I’ve seen so far!
Weather:
- Sky: Blue skies and sunny
- Wind: High of 8 knots, Low of 2 knots
- Sea: Glassy
- Temperature: Low 8•C, High 22 •C
** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **
Animal Census
Another week, another animal census! The wind has finally dropped enough that being outside is enjoyable again which made today a perfect day for counting animals!
Mammals:
California sea lions: 19
Steller sea lions: 11 (1 branded 304Y)
Harbour seals: 87
Elephant seals (female): 4
Sea otter: 1
Birds:
Canadian geese: 8
Bald eagles: 4
Gulls: 318
Pigeon guillemot: 100
Cormorants: 35
Oyster catchers: 7
Savannah sparrows: 4
Shorebirds: 6
Harlequin ducks: 10
Raven: 1
Other:
While not a bird nor a mammal (but close in size), I’d like to include an honourable mention to the wolf spider that has taken up residence in the lighthouse tower. It is so large and fuzzy that I figured it deserves to be included in this week’s animal census.
On a totally unrelated note…I will not entering the lighthouse tower for the foreseeable future.
Additional info:
Ecotourism vessels: 1
Facility work:
- Cleaned windows of both houses
- Chopped wood and kindling
- Deep cleaned kitchen in main house
Weather:
- Sky: Blue skies and sunny
- Wind: High of 18 knots, Low of 9 knots
- Sea: Started calm ,whitcaps in the afternoon
- Temperature: Low 8•C, High 14 •C
** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **
Helicopter Visitors
It seems as though the strong wind is here to stay! At least for the next few days that is. Thankfully the sky was blue and sunny which made the wind a little less nasty and allowed the batteries to charge fully on solar.
Spot the imposter
- 4 Ecotourism vessels today, I hope they saw lots – it looked like a very bumpy ride!
- 2 technicians and a pilot from Coast Guard stopped by via helicopter this afternoon to work on the fog horn. It’s the first time I’ve heard it the fog horn go off and its actually far less alarming than what I made it out to be in my head.
- Coast Guard gave me heads up that they would be coming today to ensure the helipad was clear of any wildlife. Their arrival did spook the sea lions near the jetty as I expected it would even though they didn’t pass directly overtop of them. They did pass over the 3 elephant seals on the grass and being the giant slugs that they are they raised their heads to look up for a couple of seconds and were back asleep before the helicopter even landed. Overall there was far less disturbance than I assumed their be which was great!
Ollie spent the day in the middle of the channel and only left the area when a large Steller swam past flinging around an octopus. Fair enough Ollie, I wouldn’t want octopus guts flying my way either!
** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **
Another Windy Day
Today was another blustery day and the weather couldn’t seem to make up its mind. The wind remained around 30knots throughout the day but the rest was a mix of blue sky and sun to dark clouds and pouring rain, and everything in between.
The sea lions don’t seem to mind the wind and looked as cozy as ever on their rocks. The gulls hunkered down with their heads tucked under their wings, the rest of the birds seemed to continue as normal. That includes the one goose that hangs out near the crane and stalks me whenever I walk in that general vicinity despite not having a visible nest (or mate) nearby. I also watched the same goose chase an elephant seal this morning but she seemed rather unbothered by it. I am still learning about birds and their behaviours but this particular goose seems to be holding a grudge!!
I didn’t expect to see Ollie today. With the wind and current being as strong as it is, I assumed he’d be tucked somewhere sheltered or asleep in a bed of mussels. Nope! I spotted him in the most exposed area possible, snoozing in a kelp bed – dead centre in the middle of the channel. I could barely see him between waves but he was completely unbothered by the weather.
Despite the poor weather I did count 4 ecotourism vessels within the reserve today.
Nothing else to note today!
** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **
A Slow Sunday
Not much to report today! The wind picked up today with highs of about 34 knots and on and off rain. Thankfully I got most of my outdoor tasks done yesterday so was able to work indoors today as much as possible.
There are still four female elephant seals here today, no sign of Ollie though for the first time all week! Lots of gulls, I love watching them fly and hover in the strong winds.
No vessels in the reserve today, a few freighters/cruise ships in the distance and the odd sailboat.
Weather:
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- Sky: Dark clouds, on/off rain
- Wind: High of 34 knots, Low of 26 knots
- Sea: Whitecaps
- Temperature: Low 9, High 11oC
** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **
Sea Otter Facts and Facility Work
Today was a cloudy and drizzly day but I managed to get a good chunk of work done, all while hanging out with Ollie the sea otter. I think that’s one of the things that makes this place so special is that you can be scrubbing bird poop off solar panels in the rain and look down and see this fuzzy little otter staring up at you. I’ve spent a lot of time working on and around the ocean and never have I experienced wildlife like this.
Since Ollie has been around so much lately I figured I’d make this post a sea otter specific one (since you might find that more interesting than hearing about the fire hoses I rolled).
Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning that other species within the ecosystem largely depend on them and without sea otters there would be drastic changes to those ecosystems. Sea otters predate on sea urchins who graze one kelp. The sea otter’s urchin heavy diet keeps the kelp forests from being decimated by urchins, and as a result kelp forests flourish in the presence of sea otters.
A new otter (not Ollie) with a large red urchin.
Ollie wrapped up in the kelp he helps protect
Urchin’s aren’t the only thing sea otters eat, you’ll also find them munching on clams, crabs, mussels, and other marine invertebrates. Adult sea otters need to eat a quarter of their weight in food a day. To put that into perspective – if you weigh 150 pounds, you’d have to eat almost 40 pounds of food PER DAY!
Picking out his next snack
Sea otters do not have blubber like other marine mammals do, instead they have the densest fur of any mammal, with up to one million hairs per square inch! If they aren’t busy eating, then they are busy grooming. That much fur takes a lot of upkeep and is their only source of insulation. The constant grooming traps air and heat next to the skin, preventing the skin from getting wet and keeping them warm in the process.
Ollie grooming his hind flippers
Ollie, Race Rock’s resident sea otter, is one of few sea otters seen this far south in BC. He is easily recognized by his light blonde head and by the pink scar on his nose. He’s adored by many, and any day I encounter him I consider to be a great day!
Now onto the less adorable items…
Facility Work:
- Filled cistern, fresh water flushed the pump, rolled and stored fire hoses
- Cleaned solar panels
- Cleaned windows of both houses
- Chopped firewood
- Ran an equalization charge of the batteries
- Mopped basement floor
Vessel Traffic:
- 1 ecotourism vessel
- 3 private vessels
Infractions:
- 1 rental boat fishing within the reserve despite multiple communication attempts. Informed the local marina and reported to DFO
Weather:
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- Sky: Overcast, on/off rain
- Wind: High of 4 knots, Low of 19 knots
- Sea: Calm
- Temperature: Low 9, High 11oC
** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **
Friday Update
The Steller sea lions have taken over the rocks to the right of the jetty which has resulted in the California sea lions inconveniently taking over the jetty and spilling over into the rocks on the left. Usually a calm and careful walk down the jetty clears them off but by the time I get back to the shed they are already back. Some seem to learn quicker than others or are more fearful of humans so those ones find themselves a new spot right away. However there are always a few stragglers that don’t seem to care in the slightest which results in me taking many trips down to the end of the jetty and back.
When I’m here I try to do everything in my power to not disrupt the animals, however it’s important to keep the jetty clear for when our boat arrives as well as for emergencies. It can also be dangerous at a very low tide if there are sea lions on the jetty and something spooks them. It’s a long drop into very shallow or no water and when something sets them off they seem to react first, think later. So really, a clear jetty is for both human and animal safety. Thankfully there are plenty of other areas for them to snooze and sunbathe and eventually they get tired of seeing me on the jetty and find themselves a safer place to relax.
Ollie spent his day in the kelp beds behind the student house again, grooming and sleeping before moving onto the rocks to settle onto a not so comfy looking bed of mussels.
The same 4 female elephant seals are still here. Elephant seals go through something called a catastrophic moult each year where they shed their fur as well as their top layer of skin. It’s quite common to see these guys looking pretty rough but all 4 of the ones that are currently here appear to be in good condition.
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- This one is in the final stages of her moult
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- The fur/skin layer sloughs off in large sheet like pieces
Facility Work:
- Topped up battery electrolytes
- Started filling the cistern, it is very low so I plan to run the pump tomorrow too
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- This pump pumps sea water into our cistern
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- The cistern stores the sea water so its ready for us to desalinate!
Vessel Traffic:
– 1 ecotourism vessel
– 2 cruise ships on the horizon and multiple freighters/tankers
Visitors:
– Cedric to help me fill the cistern and with a few other tasks around the site
Weather:
Sky: Sun and clouds
Wind: High of 10 knots, Low of 6 knots
Sea: Calm
Temperature: Low 7, High 13oC
** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **
Sunshine and a Sea Otter
Today was the warmest, most beautiful day I’ve had yet! Clear blue sky, glassy calm water, and barely a breeze in the air.
As I took my morning coffee for a walk around the site I quickly found Ollie wrapped up in the kelp bed behind the student house. I crept down to the rocks, careful not to wake him and spent close to an hour watching him float in the sun, occasionally rubbing his fluffy little face. This is the closest Ollie encounter I’ve had so far and it was a great way to start my day.
When the weather is this nice you never want to go inside so I decided to tackle my outdoor to do list (see below for facility work). I took a few breaks to check on Ollie and he was in the same spot wrapped up in the same kelp until 5pm when I finally went inside. I saw a few porpoises from the kitchen window as I made dinner which was a nice surprise. Harbour porpoises are tiny and barely make a blip in the waters surface, so days like today are the only days I really get a chance to see them.
I was hoping to capture Ollie at sunset but of course he had moved on by the time I went back outside. I checked on the other animals around the main island and just as I got to the jetty guess who I found? Ollie again right off the rocks and swimming like he was a man on a mission! Considering adult sea otters eat a quarter of their body weight in food a day I was surprised I didn’t see him with any urchins or other snacks today.
In other animal news, one of the female elephant seals has a green flipper tag so I reached out to some contacts for further information. I was able to learn that she was tagged in 2023 in Año Nuevo, California! This is the first time that she has been sighted since then and the researchers were thrilled to hear she survived her first year. How cool!
This girl travelled nearly 1,500km to get here!
Facility Work:
Scrubbed solar panels – today is day 3 of not using the generator because we’ve had so much sun! It’s crucial to keep them clean and poop free so we can get the most out of them.
Weeding: greenery grows fast here including weeds. I spent a bit of time clearing out some areas that were growing back.
Wood pile: the firewood pile has taken over the majority of the area by the path so I attempted to organize the chaos for a few reasons. I wanted to clear the walking area for both humans and elephant seals, I also wanted to sort out which wood should be used first, if at all. I really had to brave my arachnophobia for this project but I survived! This should hopefully give the wood a chance to dry out better too, now that its not one giant pile.
** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **
A Dream Come True! (and an animal census)
Everyone has a favourite animal, maybe its a dog or a cat or maybe its something elusive that you have a slim chance of ever seeing like a platypus. For some people, especially those in the marine mammal field it goes even deeper than that. We have specific animals within a species that we hope to one day see. For me I have two:
CA216C1 Frosty – an all white killer whale that travels between California and BC
T063 Chainsaw – a transient killer whale who visits the Salish Sea for roughly 2 weeks every spring and is recognized by his large jagged dorsal fin
Don’t get me wrong, the list is longer than that…I’ve yet to see K or L pod (Southern Resident Killer Whales), and I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing a narwhal or a leopard seal somewhere in the world one day, but as far as specific animals go – Frosty and Chainsaw are the top of my list.
Around mid afternoon I heard some chatter over the radio and spotted a few slow moving ecotourism vessels on the outskirts of the reserve which usually means there are whales nearby. I grabbed my camera and ran outside to find the man, the myth, the legend…Chainsaw! I almost didn’t believe it at first but that dorsal is hard to miss! He was travelling with at least 4 other whales including a youngster.
Not only have I been fortunate enough to see killer whales twice since my arrival yesterday afternoon but also my bucket list whale! I think this means that this Race Rocks trip will be a pretty spectacular one, I can’t wait to see whats to come. At this rate I should set my sights high, maybe a blue whale?
Now that I’ve shared my celebrity encounter, on to the rest of the day!
Today was animal census day and I proved myself wrong (see yesterday’s blog post) by spotting more pigeon guillemots than I’ve ever seen before. I did not however, see any turnstones today. Ollie was hauled out on Middle Rocks this morning but I heard over the radio that he was possibly near Swordfish Island this afternoon. Last but not least, I spotted my first whimbrel and hope to see more!
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- One of these things is not like the other…or should I say otter?
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- California vs Steller
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- No such thing as too many chins!
Animal Census:
Elephant seals: 4 female
Steller sea lions: 14
Harbour seals: 68
California sea lions: 19
Sea otters: 1 (Ollie)
Killer whales: 5 (T65s and T63s)
Gulls: 264
Canadian geese: 7
Oyster catchers: 10
Pigeon guillemots: 106
Eagles: 3 (2 adults, 1 juvenile)
Cormorants: 17
Savannah sparrow: 3
Whimbrel: 1
Raven: 1
Thankfully we don’t count bivalves in the census!!
Vessel Census:
1 private
4 ecotourism – far less today!
Weather:
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- Sky: Blue and clear
- Wind: High of 11 knots, Low of 5 knots
- Sea: Calm
- Temperature: Low 8oC, High 12oC
** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **